


a path to take

by river_rat_prince



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: ??? i guess??, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Idiots in Love, M/M, Slow Burn, tags update as i go, uhhh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 18:54:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 5,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29406537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/river_rat_prince/pseuds/river_rat_prince
Summary: “Uh, he had blue armor? H-he was larger than you, wasn't carrying many weapons as I could see. I think he had a jetpack? He was rather rough with me” they say, hands shakily coming up to drag a cloth over the glass they have been holding. It's already dry.Din sucks in a breath, thankfully the noise was not picked up by his helmet. He suspects who this is. Vizsla. Fits the description well enough.“Which direction did he go in” this is phrased like a question, but everything else suggests it is a demand.“Uh- he left out that door-- I don't know where he went from there” they squeak, hands still fumbling with the blue rag and shot glass.Din nods, completely ignoring his original purpose of going to this grimy cantina.Besides, the bounty can wait.**or,months after din saw paz last, the blue mandalorian reappears in some backwater planet, stripped of everything but his armor and a few credits. hes not one for asking help, but din can recognize someone in need.
Relationships: Din Djarin/Paz Vizsla
Comments: 24
Kudos: 105





	1. found

**Author's Note:**

> this is inspired by an antagonistic courtship on ao3– its bobadin and i LOVE it, i recommend it fully!!

Din walks into the cantina, his shoulders squared and left hand hovering over his blaster. 

He looks around, taking in the large crowd of patrons surrounding him. This cantina is busier than most.   
This can be used to his advantage, but also in his disadvantage.   
Like most things in this line of work.  
Everyone takes a pause at him entering, which he has come to expect. He pays them no attention as he starts walking up to the bar, his visor set on the blue rodian pouring drinks to a group of drunk men.   
He can feel everyone's eyes drop from him and go back to their conversations. The chitter chatter of the room returned almost immediately.

“Have you seen this woman?” he says, getting straight to the point and showing the bartender his holo.   
he wants this to be an in and out job.   
It registers that the group of men scoot away, before getting up fully and stumbling away. Wether out of fear of him or discomfort he will never know, but one can suspect.  
The rodian blinks, a surprised look on their face, but one filled with something… more. Confusion, apprehension.  
“Another one, did you come to meet your friend?” they say, before stepping back at realizing they just interrupted a mandalorian.   
A mandalorian with pure beskar armor. He must be important to wear something of such high value.  
Din falters at this, his mind reeling at the possibilities. But he shoves them all down, condensing them into one string of thoughts, so he can focus.  
“What?”

The rodian pauses, glancing at the door nervously. They might have struck a nerve.  
“Th-the other mandalorian. He came in, looking for work. Didn't stay long, though”

“What did they look like?” Din asks, scanning the bar once more, a weak attempt to find the mandalorian in question.

“Uh, he had blue armor? H-he was larger than you, wasn't carrying many weapons as I could see. I think he had a jetpack? He was rather rough with me” they say, hands shakily coming up to drag a cloth over the glass they have been holding. It's already dry.

Din sucks in a breath, thankfully the noise was not picked up by his helmet. He suspects who this is. Vizsla. Fits the description well enough.

“Which direction did he go in” this is phrased like a question, but everything else suggests it is a demand.

“Uh- he left out that door-- I don't know where he went from there” they squeak, hands still fumbling with the blue rag and shot glass.

Din nods, completely ignoring his original purpose of going to this grimy cantina.  
Besides, the bounty can wait.

Everyone standing parts for him, someone who thinks they are subtle traces a curious finger over his pauldron. He shakes them off slightly, but that is the least of what's on his mind at the moment.

Vizsla. Alive.

He doesn't know much about him, all he knows is that at the covert he had it out for him. But none of that matters right now, all that matters is another mandalorian.  
But din needs to keep his emotions and hopes in check. realistically this could be just someone wearing his armor to be intimidating.   
He shudders at this thought, thinking of it as someone wearing a husk of a dead friend. But he and vizsla were not friends.   
Not enemies either.   
He takes a deep breath, walking out the door and going to begin his quest in finding vizsla. 


	2. meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am also posting this on tumblr! my account is @your-clone-boyfriend :)
> 
> feedback is greatly appreciated!!

Paz looks around the nearly empty streets of this small town, everyone else long since retreated into their homes.  
The lights lining the streets are a dim yellow color, just enough light to see as far as the next pole and flickering bulb.

Hes thankful its not cold outside, that would just make his night even more difficult. Cold always makes him slugish, slows his movements and his thinking down. And he cant afford that. Not now, not ever.

instead it’s sticky, not hot but not cold. it’s uncomfortable.

He continues to wander in weak hope of finding a cheap hotel to stay the night at. The idea of spending yet another night in a random alleyway, hand gripped tight to his blaster as he barely sleeps is not appealing.

But he doesnt see any signs of somewhere hospitable. And barging in on someone on such a late hour is… rude. Disgraceful and distasteful.

He chuckles bitterly at his own internal monologue, still trying to stick to some lose code of morals even as his world is torn from beneath him day after day, Even if he thinks he has some sort of immunity the universe punches him in the gut once more.

**

Din doenst know what he will say to the second mandalorian. He has gone over possible things to say, a greeting in mando’a, a statement of his name, hes not sure. None of it seems right.  
  
His stomach is twisted, hes nervous. He hasnt seen another mandalorian for more than 6 months.  
And the mandalorian had to be vizlsa.  
Of course, he had come to dins ‘rescue’. But that doesnt mean they parted on good terms. In all honesty hes not sure what terms they parted on.

He doesnt know how long he has been walking, it doesnt really matter. It hasnt gotten any darker or any lighter. He supposes that means not long has past, but time works differently on each planet.

But eventually he does spot the larger man, his armored boot sticking out as his visor faces the inky black blye sky.  
He is sitting in an alleyway, behind some boxes. This strikes din as odd, but he pushes that thought away in favor of considering his current options.

Din walk up to him and risk him thinking hes an enemy, or turn around and regret it for the rest of his life.

It really seems as if there is only one option.

He trudges forward, making his footfalls heavier as to alert vizsla of his presence.

The other mandalorian reacts to dins appearance almost immediately, hand clutching his blaster coming up as he stumbles to gain proper footing as he stands.

“Who are you” he growls. The voice, its his. The same deeper almost gravely quality that is softened and buzzed up by the vocoder.

“Its me.” he says, holding up his empty hands in hopes that vizsla understands he means no harm.

The other mandalorian, instead of relaxing or setting down his weapon as din had hoped, visually bristles. 

“Am i supposed to know you” there is more to his tone of voice. He reconizes din, but wont admit it.

“Djarin” he answers, stepping backwards slightly. No point in stepping further, it could get him shot.

Vizsla exhales, his entire armor moving with the breath  
“How did you find me”

“by chance” he says, words slow and calculated. he realizes he sounds suspicious.  
“i came here looking for a bounty- the rodian in the cantina said there was another of ‘my kind’” 

vizsla lowers his weapons slightly, scanning him over several times, his visor moving up and down as he tracks him. 

“...djarin” he repeats. 

“vizsla” 

the mandalorian in question drops his blaster  
“where have you been” 

din pauses at this   
“trying to find my... foundlings kind” he says, the words feeling off. they didn’t settle correctly on his tongue.   
foundling.   
the kid. 

“so that’s why.” He says, words hard. 

“yes... that’s why” he repeats, unmoving. 

vizsla pauses at this, his shoulders going straight   
“you left us.”


	3. invitation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for all the kudos, sorry if this one doesnt make much sense im very tired as i write this.

“You left us” paz repeats, starting to dig the heels of his boots into the dirt below him.

“I did what i had to do” his voice is tinged with regret, and his fists tightens at his sides, the soft squeak of the stressed leather of his gloves the only other indication of this besides the way they shake.  
“This is the way”

Paz bites back the need to repeat that, repeat the mantra that was nailed into their heads as soon as they were born- or found. in djarins case. 

Instead he stays silent, looking the other mandalorian over once more.  
“Was it worth it” his voice is hard with a cold edge to it. 

“I have yet to… find its kind” he says, voice quite 

Paz grunts, then fully drops his blaster to his side.

“What do you want from me” 

**

They have been going back and forth for a little while now, their conversation stiff and filled with tension.  
But eventually din puts the pieces together. Vizsla laying on the ground in the alleyway, his lack of weapons. 

He just doesn't know how to go about offering his help.  
He knows vizsla enough to understand that if he slips up he will most likely never see him again. 

“Where have you… been?” he says, picking out each word, treading lightly. Even with the precautions he takes with the things that run past his lips he feels as if he screwed up. 

“Traveling around the galaxy in search of work” he replies, then takes a long pause.  
“Its difficult without a ship, but i manage”

“You're a bounty hunter?” he's surprised at this, but he understands that he has to make do in his current situation.  
A situation that he, by an extent, caused.

He sucks in a small breath, pushing away those thoughts. He knows where this train of thought leads, and he can't deal with that right now.

“Do you need a ship?” 

“What?” paz sounds surprised, taken aback by dins sudden forwardness. 

“Do you need a ship?” he says, then realizes he is… slightly unclear with his question

“The razor crest has extra space. We could drop you off at the nearest planet with more jobs.” 

“No. i don't need your help, djarin” he spits out his name like an insult, din can tell he is offended at the very notion he would need help from him. 

“The offer stands. The crest is leaving tomorrow at dawn- it's easy to spot.”  
And with that he begins to leave, turning on his heel and taking one last small look at the other mandalorian.  
He's worried that he won't accept his invitation. 

He walks back to the crest, all intentions of catching the bounty on this planet abandoned in favor of vizsla.  
He's all that matters now.  
Another mandalorian.  
It doesn't matter that that mandalorian is vizsla. Right?


	4. Guilt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heyo sorry this is so short also i wrote this in the notes app of my phone so :)?  
> Anyways I hpe you like it

Din walks into the razor crest, the heavy tread of his boots enough to alert the little one of his presence. 

He hears a small coo, and the kid rounds the corner, holding something in his hand. 

Din crouches down, beckoning the child to come towards him  
“What do you have?” He asks, although it’s slightly useless. He already knows. 

The kid holds out a small silver ball, a big smile on his face   
“I closed the cockpit... you know you aren’t allowed in there” he sighs, hiding a smile under his helmet 

He pouts, dropping the ball into dins outstretched hand. 

“No- you can have it” he says, holding it out to the kid. It’s his favorite thing. 

He giggles, waddling away with the ball in his small green hand.   
Din can’t help but chuckle at this as he walks after him. 

“Hey kid.” He pauses, he feels as if he should offer an explanation of what might happen. Even if he doesn’t understand it.  
Maybe he just needs to process it himself. 

“There might... be another person like me aboard the ship soon.” He sighs, thinking back to his interaction with vizsla   
“I’m not... sure yet. But it’s possible” he continues, sitting down on a random crate to strip of his armor. 

When he first rescued the kid he didn’t take of his armor for anything besides the ‘fresher. But now he strips it off without a thought, everything besides the helmet clatters to the floor in a neat pile. He will move it later. 

“He will just be here for a bit. Hopefully. He’s a friend” he uses ‘friend’ as a lose term for vizsla. He’s an acquaintance. Not a friend. Not a foe either. 

He’s not sure what vizsla is to him.

He’s sure he will figure it out eventually. If he shows up.   
Honestly din doubts he will. Accepting help has never been ‘his style’ 

He remembers when they were young vizsla was always a ruthless fighter, even on the rest of the clan members. Someone would always end up crying on the floor. Sometimes it was din. 

Vizsla never had anything against din personally, until he became the sole provider for the clan.   
That’s when things changed. 

They were never friends, never enemies.   
Indifferent to each other until they weren’t.   
All caused by vizsla. 

Din remembers when he brought back the beskar that created his armor. Paz had tried to strip him of his creed then, calling him a traitor and a liar. 

Sometimes din thinks he is a traitor. 

He uprooted their entire lives, their sanctuary.   
The image of their helmets, dropped in a pile with no bodies. The smell of phantom smoke fills his nostrils. 

He is overwhelmed with guilt, a wave so strong it makes him sway in place.   
He caused that.   
All for the child.   
He loves the ch- he cares for the child.   
But was he worth it. 

Was he worth it.  
Yes.   
Right?   
He sucks in a breath when the kid makes a concerned noise, putting a hand on his leg. 

“Y-yeah. I’m fine buddy” he says, rather unconvincingly 

The child peers up at him with his large brown eyes, then blinks several times

“Let’s get you some food”   
He can deal with his feelings later.


	5. accepting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sorry it’s short i fell asleep again also it’s cold as all hell and the heater doesn’t work so my fingers are Hhh frezingw

Paz thought about it. He thought about it all night.

He knows he should say yes. It's the best option. The way he will keep himself alive.  
But that small part of him, the irrational bastard inside of him says no. don't accept help from djarin.

He still thinks over this as he trudges out to the edges of town, the dirt crunching and scraping beneath his boots.  
He has yet to see the ship- what it is called. Razor crest.

He's still unsure of why djarin offered his help. His ship, part of his home.  
He suspects he pities him. Or has some unspoken and unbroken promise that he will help any other mandalorians, swoop in like the knight in shining armor that he is and pick their life back up off the floor.

He grunts, gritting his teeth at the thought. He hates that he needs this help.  
He considers turning around, but as soon as he runs his gloved fingers over his pauldron, a nervous habit he developed almost as soon as he got his armor, and feels the new dents on it he hardens his resolve. He's going to accept the offer, no matter how difficult it is for him.  
It's what's best for himself.

**

Din paces inside the crest, his armor fully donned and weapons at his side. He's not sure what he expects.  
He's fairly sure vizsla isn't going to show up.

But he can't leave. Not yet.

So he opts for opening the door to the ship, waiting.  
Waiting for him to arrive.

Or not

The kid waddles around, loosely following dins footsteps, his small padded feet hitting the floor can be heard if you really try.  
He can tell that din is distressed, he tried to address that as soon as he woke up.  
He ran his little palm across dins visor several times, then patting it on the top in what din assumes is supposed to be comforting.  
He thinks the child picked this up from him.  
Sometimes he does this, It usually calms the child down quickly, even making him fall asleep if hes lucky.

Din watches the sun rise slowly. Slower than most planets, the sun is tinted an odd greenish blue color, casting a soft glow on everywhere he looks.  
Its nice.

He doesn’t see vizsla.   
But he’s not going to leave just yet.


	6. arrived

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hey sorry this took a bit! but here u go <3

Paz slowly walks up to the crest, his footfalls heavy as he tries to go over what hes going to do.  
He holds nothing in his hands, no supplies no credits no nothing. Hes going to get off at the next most hospitable planet.  
Then he will never see djarin again.

He eventually makes it to the ship, djarin waiting there seemingly impatiently. From what paz could see he had been pacing, his hands coming to rest on his helmet as if he was touching his chin.

He doesnt say a word, hoping to speak as little as possible. So he waits for the other mandalorian to make the first move.

“You came” this isnt a question, a statements of facts that he knows to be true. He sounds surprised.  
His visor drags down to his boots and back up to pazs blue helmet. Some sort of inspection. It makes paz feel uncomfortable, like hes being evaluated and scrutinized. For what he doesnt know.

“Come in” he finally says, shifting out of the doorway despite there being more than enough room in the first place for paz to get in.

Paz steps in, the small crunch of the leftover sandy dirt on his boots can be heard as he walks into the middle of the crest.  
He looks around, hoping that his interest is subtle.

The walls are lined with supplies, several boxes that he assumes serve as tables and chairs are scattered throughout, and a small room filled with blankets and a little hammock is tucked away in the back. He wonders were he will sleep.

“You can get yourself acquainted, i will be lifting off soon” djarin says, following pazs line of sight.

Something- hes not sure what makes a noise behind him and he jumps, hand instinctively going to his blaster.

Djarin jumps forward, his body coiled as he scoops up the thing hastily.   
He seems protective of it.

Then the pieces click.   
“That’s what we risked our lives for?” He sounds disgusted. Horrified even. 

“Yes.” Djarin answers simply, tightening his grip on it.   
“He’s special.” He follows up, some loose weak explanation for what he caused.

There is a long, tension filled pause that passes between them. The only sound that is heard is the thing cooing.   
He ignored it. 

“I’m going up now. Make yourself comfortable”   
He leaves without another word.


	7. Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry this is so short, I’m so tired and I feel really burned out and anxiety sick,, i should be better, soon.

din hauls the kid up to the cockpit, the small child grasping at his clothes. 

once he gets inside of the cockpit he sets the child in the back chair, then sits in his own. 

he stays silent until they are out of the planets atmosphere, then he looks at the kid.

“so… that’s our guest” he says, not sounding thrilled. the kid doesn’t either. 

“He will only be here for a bit. I promise” he sighs  
The child doesn’t do anything, just tilts his head and peers at din with knowing eyes. 

He always does this, doesn’t make a sound and just looks into din. His eyes are large and brown, nearly black. He seems to know more things than he should for his age.   
50  
That’s how old he is. Sometimes din forgets he’s 50 years old. 

Din is such a small portion of the kids life, when he’s such a big part of his.   
Even though they have only known each other for a year and change it feels like a lifetime.  
Din has accepted him into his clan.  
His clan of two. 

That’s a title he accepted easily.   
But it was difficult later on.   
He knows he will have to surrender the kid eventually. To his own kind.

He always pushes these thoughts away.   
No time for this.

“Play nice with him.” He says finally, then straightens himself and puts them into hyperspace.  
“But be careful. He doesn’t know how...” he trails off. 

“Yeah.”


	8. a job

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sorry this took so long, hope its ok!!

They have been living on the crest together for weeks now, nothing really has changed between them.

Everytime they are stuck in the same room it's tense, the silence loud as never before.  
Din is usually comfortable with silence. He falls into it easily since he doesn't have much to say to other people.   
But with vizsla it feels different. Wrong. He feels obligated to speak and it's uncomfortable. He doesn't like it.  
This is why he spends most of his time avoiding vizsla. Climbing up to the cockpit even when he doesn't need to be. Throwing himself into his cot whenever the other resurfaces from his own alcove. 

The child doesn't seem to like him. He always makes a noise of… din can only describe it as ‘disgust’ whenever vizsla looks down at him.   
Vizsla doesn't seem to like him either. 

**  
They live like this for weeks, dancing around each other and waiting for another planet to resurface. One with a trace of another mandalorian or a large bounty paz can take and boost himself up.   
But nothing.   
until they do find something. 

**  
“Vizsla” paz hears his name and sighs, getting up from his position on the cot.

“What do you want, djarin” 

“I think i found something. A job” he clarifies that last bit as if paz didn't piece it together on his own.

“Really?” in all honesty he's surprised at this, they haven't heard of anything for weeks now and it's finally happening? He can finally separate himself from djarin and his… thing?   
“Tell me more,” he says, a bit too eager.

“It's a job. A rather large bounty” he starts, handing paz the holo.

It shows a purple twi’lek, his face twisted into a jagged sneer.   
“He… escaped a prison and there has since been a bounty on his head. We should get to his coordinates in about a day.” he doesn't explain further.

Paz takes a breath, continuing to inspect the holo. He has no reason not to trust djarin, but no reason to trust him either. He doesn't seem like the type of person who would dump you at the nearest planet without anything, but you can always misjudge someone.  
“Sounds good.” he doesn't say anything else. He trudges out of the room, leaving the holo still on the table.


	9. planning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> thanks for all the comments and kudos, they are what is keeping me going !!

ra  
Din punches in the quardinates then leans back on the chair, clicking on autopilot with a heavy sigh.  
He flips on the holo, tracing over the edges with a gloved thumb as a small image of the bounty buzzes to life.  
The face projected into the air is familiar. One he doesn’t like.   
One that he recognizes.   
Qin. xi’ans brother.  
The one he broke out of jail.

He knows he will remember din.  
Who could forget the person who broke you out of a high security prison as well as abandoned your sister there, in the same day.   
Let alone forget them if that person was a mandalorian  
Mandalorains are… hard to forget, after all.

He turns it off, setting it aside and beginning to tapping his foot.  
Hes restless. He hasnt felt comfortable in his own ship for weeks now. As long as vizsla has been staying there.

Its an awful feeling. Being uncomfortable in your own home.  
Having to partially keep your guard up at all times, unable to shed your skin to reveal your true self.  
The only time he can do this is at night when he sleeps. And even then its different.  
Hes not awake.  
Not awake to enjoy it, or really feel it. 

It makes him realize that he took that privacy and ability for granted.

**

Din leans on the wall next to where vizsla sits, his arms crossed as he explains what is going to happen.

“He is supposed to meet up with someone for some sort of transaction, weapons I assume, in a market. We can go there and catch him fairly easily.”   
If everything goes right, he doesn’t say. But he thinks it.   
He hopes vizsla follows the plan. If not this could all go down hill very quickly.   
Hes not good at explaining things, since he rarely needs to. Hes not used to it.  
But he’s trying, for the sake of the other person in the room. 

Vizsla nods, his helmet visor trained to the floor, not looking up at din. Din glances at the one blaster vizsla has strapped to his hip- he’s never seen it leave his side- and shifts from leaning on one shoulder to the other.  
“If you need weapons you can take your pick. I dont have any of what you used to use- but a couple might work for you” he says, cringing internally at the mention of ‘used to use’.   
Vizsla lost nearly everything for din, and reminding him of that might not be the best idea.

Vizsla makes no move to get up and look through the weapons area, so din sucks in a breath- not loud enough for his helmet to catch it and twist it into he vocoder, and starts walking up to the ladder.  
“We should arrive soon”


	10. blaster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sorry this is so short, but the next chapter should get better!!

Paz waits for Djarin to fully leave the den before he gets up, opening what he assumes- correctly- is the weapons cabinet. 

It's not much, compared to what they had at the cohort, but it doesn't matter. It is more than enough to get him by, and that's all that matters. 

He trails his gloved hand down the barrel of one gun, its black metal cool even through the fabric. The fabric of his gloves is worn, not the most thick but not thin by any means.   
He picks it up, weighing it. It's light compared to the weapons he was trained with as a child, but he can control it despite this. He recognizes it, but it seems like the model has been updated since he has last seen it. The name of it slips his mind as he inspects it with gentle hands, then sets it back and picks up a second one. It didnt feel right, not practical for his skill set for the upcoming situation.  
This one is heavier, it feels better in his arms. A sliver closer to what he is used to. Was used to.  
He has been using that small, rather cheap blaster for a long while now, but everytime he resorts to shooting, it doesn't feel right. That's why he uses his knife most of the time. He's gotten much better at hand to hand combat in these past months due to this. 

He guesses this can be interpreted as something good that came out of his situation. But honest he tends to avoid that view on life, it likes to romanticize it to a degree which he cannot afford.   
Not everything has a good side, after all, and he needs to recognize it. 

He settles on this weapon, tucking it into his belt with an extra holster, as well as sheathing two more knives with him. One inside his boot and the other next to his original knife.  
He hopes he won't have to use these.

From what djarin says it sounds like a simple in and out job, grab the bounty then go their separate ways forever.

He can't wait.

Every night on this ship feels wrong.   
It's cold, too cold. It's not comfortable or uncomfortable, just walking that fine line between the two. It's interesting to say the least, and he's going to be happy to be rid of this lifestyle.   
He just hopes he can afford his own ship after this job.  
He hopes.


	11. goodbyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> HDJSHR IM SORRY THIS ONE IS SO SHORT BUT THE BEXT ONE WILL BE LONGER HOPEFULLY

Din looks down at the kid, eyes soft even as the rest of his body is incredibly tense.   
He would be more comfortable if it was just him.   
But vizsla- vizsla adds a layer of complexity to this seemingly simple mission.   
“You need to stay here, buddy.” He mumbles, picking up the child.  
The child just tilts his head, cooing.

He’s used to din leaving by now, day after day. So it doesn’t really phase him when din says goodbye.   
But din can imagine… that the child understands. That he is leaving.  
Because at the last second his ears droop, and a small whine leaves his lips as he waves goodbye.

Din wants to promise he will come back, but he can’t. So instead he tells the kid he loves him, without really saying it.  
“Dont touch anything, you could get hurt” 

This doesn’t stop the child of course, din has come back many times to see the kid half buried inside the cockpit and digging for the wires.  
He’s not sure how he gets inside there, but as long as he’s not hurt it’s fine.

“I will try to be back soon” he heaves, sheathing his blaster and patting the kid on the head. 

**  
Din leaves the crest, giving the kid one last look as the door closes slowly. 

Vizsla is waiting, shoulders straight as he looks at din.  
“Where to first” he asks, his tone of voice hard to place, even for din.

Din doesn’t answer, just starts walking towards the bustling city.


	12. helmet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AAAH IM SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG I HAVE BEEN FEELING PRETTY DOWN, BUT I HOPE THIS IS OK   
> ALSO ALL OF YOUR COMMENTS GIVE ME LIFE, tHANK U ♥️♥️♥️♥️

They have been waiting for more than an hour now, or at least thats what paz thinks.

He keeps looking for the bounty in the streets, but he barely remembers what they look like, all he can remember is ‘purple twi’lek’, which isnt much to go off of in a black market city like this.

He tries to go over the plan, the ground rules in his mind every so often.

This feels more delicate than the things he is used to doing, more tedious. Something you cant fight your way out of, and if you try things could go horribly wrong very quickly.

So he wants to make sure it goes correctly, in his mind, while this is a gross oversymplification of it, the better it goes the faster he is back on his metyphorical feet and the faster he can forget about djarin, to the best of his abilities.

Hes getting impatient, restless.

That is, until djarin kicks him in the boot and awkwardly nods towards what he assumes is their target. 

Their clothes are semi luxurious, but covered in a thick layer of dirt and grime that suggest they haven’t been washed or changed out of in a long while.  
They have one blaster visible, which does nothing to calm pazs nerves.

Vizsla realizes that this would be a useful time to have djarins comm, so they could communicate without drawing more attention to themselves.  
But that’s not something he’s willing to ask for, and he doesn’t think that would pass through djarins mind.

Although the bounty has appeared, djarin makes no move.

So paz follows in suit, trying to lean casually against the wall.

He’s not executing it very well, since he has really never known true relaxation.   
So he assumes he just looks rather stiff, but he’s sure no one notices anything past the fact that he is a mandalorian. 

He sometimes wishes he could break the creed, it would make things so much easier.  
But he knows he can’t do that, it would shatter his entire world. He had always been very strict on it, but every once and a while his resolve starts thinning, hands brushing over his lips and through his hair as he looks in the mirror, helmet off in the solitude of wherever he is staying. He looks into his own eyes and thinks   
‘How lovely would it be to not have to wear this constantly’  
But he shoves those thoughts down, his head filled with guilt for days afterwards. 

It’s not easy, but it’s all he knows.

He is pulled out of his own mind when the dirt next to him crunches and djarin starts off, not waiting for paz to follow.


	13. stabbed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> im sorry this is probably so awful......... hrhdgrg i am so bad at writing fight scenes.

It was all going well until qin stabbed vizsla.

Qin lunged at din, tackling him to the ground throwing slurs his way.   
He didn't notice the knife until it was buried deep into Vizsla's thigh.

Vizsla had tried to pull qin off of djarin, had tried to help. 

Din watched, frozen as he fell to the ground and pulled the fucking knife out of his thigh.  
You aren't supposed to do that.

The laugh is what snapped him out of his haze, he grabbed Qin by the shoulder and slammed him down, boot connecting with Qin's pelvis rather harshly.

Qin cries out in pain, but pulls at the blaster in his belt.  
he's not sure why he didnt start with this weapon, din thinks offhandedly before qin swipes his feet against dins shins, toppling him over onto the floor.

Qin grabs onto dins cape, tugging him towards him with an audible snicker.  
But before qin can get too full of himself din pins him to the ground, his own blaster flush against his temple.

“You were wanted, dead or alive.” this is a bluff, the hire specifically stated they wanted qin alive. But qin did not know this.

Instead of the usual panic in the bounties eyes, the tensing of their muscles and even them begging for their life, something different flashes across Qin's horrible face.  
Something that can only be described as smugness.

Din doesn't have time to react before their hand slides down to a small clicker on their belt-- one that din recognizes as a bomb switch.

He doesn't have much time to react, he scrambles off of qin and frantically spins in search of vizsla- who is struggling to stand in a puddle of his own blood.

Qin stands up easily, thumb still ghosting over the trigger.  
“Shall we negotiate, mandalorian?” His voice is deep and raspy, a tint of hubris in every breath.

This is when vizsla finally stands and runs at qin, his run somewhat terrifying with his size and the way he stumbles like something undead.  
Din can hear something pop inside of Qin, who screams in agony and attempts to kick Vizsla off of him. 

“You asshole got off” he screeches, hand clawing at vizslas chestplate.

Vizsla doesn't respond, that is until qin strikes him right in his wound, making his knees buckle and qin to have the upper hand once more.

Din points his blaster at qin, nervously glancing at vizsla every few seconds.   
“Drop the switch, qin”

Qin sneers at the use of his name, hand tightening around the object in question  
“No… i don't think i will''

Din grunts, gloved thumb scraping over the trigger.  
“You know i will shoot you, you saw what i did with my ‘companions’ when i was rescuing you” he hates how he is framing himself, this isn't who he is. This is the armor, the reputation, the fear he feels whenever someone sees him on the street. But it's not him.

“True,” he says, pretending to consider the variables

“But again, i don't think i will” 

He clicks the button.


End file.
